Toy

ABSTRACT

A toy having a base, a support extending from the base and a body member rotatably mounted on the base. There are magnetic mean on the support and body member which cooperate to maintain the body member vertical. Furthermore, there are means on the support for blowing a jet of air at the body member to rotate same.

United States Patent Inventor Kenneth Hing Cheung Fung Kowloon, Hong Kong App]. No. 822,914 Filed May 8, i969 Patented Sept. 7, 1971 Assignee A. Dransfield & Co., Ltd.

Kowloon, Hong Kong, Priority Jan. 21, 1969 Great Britain 3376/69 TOY 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 46/44 Int. Cl A63h 29/16 Field of Search 46/44, 236,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,064,972 6/1913 Kerr 46/242 3,469,340 46/44 9/ l 969 Breneman et a] Primary Examiner--L0uis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-D. L. Weinhold Attorneyl-lolman & Stern ABSTRACT: A toy having a base, a support extending from the base and a body member rotatably mounted on the base. There are magnetic mean on the support and body member which cooperate to maintain the body member vertical Furthermore, there are means on the support for blowing a jet of air at the body member to rotate same.

PATENIED SEP 1 Ian v ATTORNEYS TOY This invention relates'to toys.

The invention consists in a toy in which means is provided for blowing a jet of air at a member and thereby rotating the member.

The invention further consists in a toy comprising a support, a body member rotatably mounted on the support, magnetic means on both the body and the support cooperating with one another for maintaining the body member in an upright position, and means disposed on the support for blowing a jet of air at the body member and thereby rotating the body member.

Preferably, the means blowing a jet of air includes a bellows and a hose connected thereto, one end of the hose being directed at an area on the body member displaced from its axis of rotation.

Preferably, one end of the body member is rotatably received in the base of the support and the other end includes one of the magnet means.

Preferably, the support includes an inverted U-shaped element mounted on the base which supports the other of the magnetic means, and the other of the magnetic means is oppositely polarized with respect to the magnetic means and spaced therefrom.

The invention will now be described with respect to the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a detail front elevation of the upper part of the toy shown in FIG. I, viewed from 2-2 in FIG. 1.

The toy shown in FIG. 1 includes a support, and a body member 6 rotatably mounted therein. The support 1 includes a base 2, an inverted substantially U-shaped supporting element 4, and a pair of support pillars 5 disposed at lower ends of the supporting element 4 for mounting the supporting element 4 on the base 2.

The body 6 may be formed of any suitable shape such as the familiar design of a dancing bear illustrated in FIG. 1, however, it may be any representative shape or abstract shape. The body is preferably substantially planar but need only be formed so that at least one portion is spaced from the axis of rotation thereof in order to achieve desired turning movement as discussed infra. One end of the body is formed as a rotating pin which is received in a curved socket 3. The other end of the body includes a hat at least one portion 7 of which is formed of magnetic material. In a body of another shape the magnetic portion 7 at the upper end of the body may be related to the design in any appropriate way.

A seat is disposed in the bight portion of the inverted U- shaped element 4. The seat is arranged to support the Chinese-lantern-s'haped casing through its slot 9.

A further magnetic portion 10 is disposed in the lower end of the casing when the body member 6 is positioned upright in the recess 3, the magnetic portion 7 is aligned with the magnetic portion 10 which is oppositely polarized while maintaining an airgap therebetween.

The body member 6 is rotated by means of a simple air jet which includes a bellows 13 connected through a-hose 11 to a nozzle 12 which can be simply formed as an opened end of the hose. The hose 11 may be threaded through the base and the pillar 5 for positioning the nozzle 12. The nozzle 12 is directed at an area of the body member spaced from the axis of rotation of the body member so that the jet of air impacted on the body member effects the rotation of the body member.

In the illustrated embodiment the said area is an extended leg.

The means providing an air jet may include another nozzle connected to the hose and mounted on the other pillar and directed on the other side of the body, opposite the first air jet, to help rotate the body in the same direction. Alternatively,

the to may be provided with a second air jet, similar to the one il ustrated with its nozzle mounted in the other pillar and directed toward the same side of the body to effect rotation in the opposite direction. Various other arrangements of nozzles, hoses, and bellows may be made within the scope of the invention to effect any various movements or combinations of movements.

The base, pillars, Chinese lantern casing, and body member are preferably formed of a rigid plastic while the hose and bellows are preferably formed of a flexible plastic. The support element is preferably formed of metal rod. However, any other suitable materials may be employed.

What I claim is:

l. A toy comprising a support, a body member rotatably mounted on the support, magnetic means on both the body and the support cooperating with one another for maintaining the body member in an upright position, and means connected to the support for blowing a jet of air at the body member and thereby rotating the body member.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means blowing a jet of air includes a bellows and a hose connected thereto, one end of said hose being directed at an area on said body member displaced from its axis of rotation.

3. A toy as claimed in 1, wherein one end of said body member is rotatably received in a base for the support and the other end includes one of said magnet means.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support includes an inverted U-shaped element mounted on a base and supports one of said magnetic means, and the other said magnetic means is oppositely polarized relative to said one magnetic means and spaced therefrom. 

1. A toy comprising a support, a body member rotatably mounted on the support, magnetic means on both the body and the support cooperating with one another for maintaining the body member in an upright position, and means connected to the support for blowing a jet of air at the body member and thereby rotating the body member.
 2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means blowing a jet of air includes a bellows and a hose connected thereto, one end of said hose being directed at an area on said body member displaced from its axis of rotation.
 3. A toy as claimed in 1, wherein one end of said body member is rotatably received in a base for the support and the other end includes one of said magnet means.
 4. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support includes an inverted U-shaped element mounted on a base and supports one of said magnetic means, and the other said magnetic means is oppositely polarized relative to said one magnetic means and spaced therefrom. 